The Lords of Grimm
AN: Well, I haven't touched this one in a while. I apologize if you had to wait too long for this chapter to come out, but I recently got into it and I hope it proves worth it.
Now to reviews.
MadTitan9: Here you go.
Dracus6: Pretty sure that goes without saying.
3 Time for Confrontation
Salem traversed through her castle, looking for her new acquaintance and former foe. She was honestly hoping that he would come and talk to her about what to do next, but she hasn't seen him in a while. And that thought honestly made her nervous. True, she may have agreed on having Wolfram here but she didn't know him all that well, and the lack of his presence made her suspicious.
So she focused on sensing him, trying to find an unusual presence within the castle. The moment she did it wasn't hard to tell where he was. His signature was unique, resembling a sort of dark pit, similar to the Grimm but emitting such vibrant dark energy. She honestly wondered if that is how her signature felt since she couldn't really tell.
But his location was very interesting, her library. Salem wondered what exactly he would want from there. She reached the library within a minute and opened the double doors leading into it. She was met with a sight of Wolfram sitting on a chair, a purple book in his hand. There was also the Beowolf from before sitting next to him. The room wasn't particularly big, actually on the smaller side compared to other rooms in the castle.
When Salem saw what he was reading she raised an eyebrow. It was a book of spells, pretty advanced ones at that. Why on all Remnant would he be reading something like this when he couldn't do magic at all she had no idea?"
Wolfram then looked up to her and grinned. "Fancy seeing you here, my dear Salem. Is there something you need?"
"I'm wondering why you are learning magic," Salem said with her arms crossed.
He cast a glance at the book before looking back at her. "Not learning, reading. Quite a difference, I tell you. And if you're wondering why, it's simple," he said before gesturing towards the bookshelves that were in the room. "Those spellbooks are most you have. I don't really see any novels here. And I'm not really keen on reading map books."
"They are called Atlases," Salem corrected him.
"Whatever they're called now," Wolfram said annoyingly before putting the book down and getting up. "As you see, entertainment is more on the limited side here so I'm coping." He then turned to the Beowolf and petted him on the head. "Isn't that right, boy?"
Salem really wanted to laugh at the display. Seeing Wolfram, another Lord of Grimm, complaining so much about not being entertained, reading books about subjects he knew nothing about, and petting a Beowolf like it was a pet.
"Maybe we should talk battle strategy, and not just laze around like slobs," she said. "You are supposed to be a good planner considering you've waged war with humanity for years."
Wolfram closed the book and put it on the table before rising up. "Why so serious, my dear Salem?"
"Don't… call me that," Salem said in a somewhat threatening voice with her eyes narrowed.
Wolfram raised an eyebrow. "Why? Does that offend you somehow?" he asked as he walked behind her.
"Just don't."
Wolfram smiled before leaning his face down where it was placed next to her shoulder. "Oh, and just what do I have to do to get that privilege?"
She sharply turned around and was ready to give him a slap but he quickly pulled back his head before she could.
"You better keep your distance if you know what's good for you," she threatened as her red eyes began to glow.
Wolfram just sighed at that. "Alright, fine. I'll keep my distance," he said. "Though in my defense, with the way you look a man can't really control himself."
Salem wasn't sure if she should be angry or flattered by the compliment, as nobody tried to actually flirt with her the way Wolfram did.
"Let's just talk, shall we?" she said before walking out of the library with Wolfram following her.
"Just so you know," he said making her look at him as they walked. "I'm not one of your servants; you can't make me give up by intimidating me."
Salem just scoffed under her breath and turned her head back. However, as much as she didn't want to admit it, Wolfram was right. She couldn't just intimidate him like she did others as he was actually powerful enough to go against her, immortality or not. And if she tried to use the Grimm on him they would probably end up confused at whom to listen to since both of them can control them.
He honestly had no reason to treat her as anything else than a colleague, something which Salem wasn't used to because of all these years as 'The Queen' or 'The Goddess' and things like that. One of the reasons why she didn't want Wolfram to call her 'my dear Salem' was because she thought it demeaning. Not to mention she didn't want that kind of affection from him, she knew better from long ago.
They went through the huge double doors of the throneroom where the others were gathered and Salem took a seat at the head while took a seat next to Watts. The three men were still uncomfortable with the Grimm Lord's presence as they somewhat tensed, though for Tyrian it was more of suspiciousness.
"Well then, let us proceed with the meeting," Salem said.
After a while of discussing strategies, everyone agreed on Salem's idea for what comes next, with the proceeding Grimm invasion and the hacking of Atlas' security systems. However, they did run into one problem.
Wolfram had no idea what hacking was.
Salem wanted to facepalm at the oversight, completely forgetting that Wolfram was sealed for so many years that the advancement of technology went unnoticed by him. He had no idea about computers, scrolls (electric ones), or cars. Hell, he didn't even know about the Faunus so the meeting became extra-long since they had to explain all that too him.
After hearing all that, Wolfram had to compliment humanity's ingenuity when it came to inventing. To think they would come so far without magic was simply astounding. And to learn that there was a subspecies of humans who had animal traits was also something he found very interesting considering that those didn't exist during his time. Perhaps the lack of influence from the gods made the humans more connected with nature instead of magic so some eventually developed those traits.
He also heard about how Ozma was now in a cycle of reincarnation, transferring to a new host body that retains his previous memories after death, and is now in search for the Relics that were given by the gods, four relics of Choice, Knowledge, Creation, and Destruction, with the Relic of Knowledge in Ozma's possession. She wanted to continue searching for the Relic of Choice that was at Beacon but the search had to stop for now.
And another thing he learned was the Maidens, initially the four daughters Ozma and Salem, but now hosts for the magical power the four possessed. Those four are needed to unlock the special vaults where the Relics are located.
"So, we need to get those Maidens so we can recover the Relics created by the gods, though one Relic is lost to us still," Wolfram said as he rubbed his chin.
"In essence, yes," Watts said. "We think that the next best accessible Maiden is located in Atlas and I'll go personally with Tyrian so we can infiltrate."
"I see," Wolfram said before getting up. "Well, this was quite a meeting, but now I need to outside to… stretch my legs for a bit."
Salem only gave him a narrowed look. "Stretch your legs?"
"What? Is there a problem with that?" he asked, but her expression was unwavering. He sighed knowing that she wouldn't buy it. "Fine, I do plan on confronting them."
"And why should I allow that?" Salem asked.
"You don't 'allow' me to do anything," Wolfram said as he gave her a slight glare. "I'm not an underling, so you don't command me." He then once again turned away. "You don't need to worry, I won't do anything to hinder your plan, I'm not an idiot."
"And why are you so eager to reveal yourself? We could have the element of surprise," Salem suggested.
Wolfram chuckled. "Now where's the fun in that? Keeping me hidden won't make much of a difference considering what you plan to do." He turned back with a confident smile. "Trust me, my dear Salem. I know what I'm doing."
And with that, he walked away from the meeting table.
Salem watched as he walked away. She wasn't sure if she should let him go, especially considering that he wasn't in any way under her control. He may very well mess up her plans, and with his demeanor of uncaringness, you could think that, but she knew better.
But just in case, she decided to have a few small Grimm follow him. He could probably notice but he also probably wouldn't care. She would still have him in her sight.
But whatever he had planned, she knew they had similar goals, so he wouldn't just betray her. That was a sure thing at least.
Meanwhile, at Argus, Oscar was sitting at a couch in the house of Jaune's sister Saphron, and her wife Terra. He was looking over the folded staff that belonged to Ozpin, a man currently in his mind.
Oscar wondered what exactly will they achieve at the end of this journey. Salem was revealed to be immortal, so defeating her will be a challenge to say the least. But he had hope, immortal didn't necessarily mean invincible.
Ruby and the others were currently discussing on what they should do next, how to get to Atlas, and get the Relic there.
He was beginning to listen when he suddenly felt a shiver. Not a physical one, but seemingly a… mental one.
"Ozpin, is something wrong?" Oscar asked the man in his head. However, he was met with silence. "Right. Still nothing."
Deep within Oscar's mind, Ozpin dwelled, still conflicted about everything that happened. His secrets were revealed, and he felt so much shame for hiding it from the people who trusted him with their lives.
Then he felt a shiver go down his spine, which is something strange for him to feel since he didn't have an actual body and he wasn't possessing Oscar.
Something felt… wrong. He couldn't describe it at first, but he felt that some sort of magic source just… disappeared.
He had a feeling that he would need to stop his exile soon and do something. He had a very bad feeling about the future events. As if he didn't have enough on his mind.
Adam Taurus wasn't having a good time these past few days. After his defeat at Haven, the White Fang has turned against him, leaving him alone. First, he was betrayed by Blake, then all his own subordinates betray him? Everything was falling apart so fast.
The white Grimm mask he once wore was now replaced by a simple black one, matching the rest of his current clothes. He tried to keep his intimidating image as much as he could, despite how futile it seemed now.
But he was determined if nothing else, and that determination was currently focused on one thing. Revenge.
Adam was currently looking for Blake Belladonna, the woman who, in his mind, was the main reason for his fall from grace. His hand gripped the handle of his katana firmly.
He was currently walking through the woods that led to the city of Argus, where he tracked down the movements of Blake and her team. His teeth grit in anger at the thought of meeting her, and he couldn't wait to vent it out on his former comrade.
"Well, hello there," Adam suddenly heard someone behind him before quickly turning around, ready to draw his blade. He was caught off guard by what, or rather who he saw.
The man in front of him resembled a faunus, but he looked unlike anyone he had ever seen. The pale skin and the black veins would certainly make him stand out in the crowd.
"Who are you?" Adam asked sternly.
"Well, since you asked so nicely, I'm called Wolfram," he said. "And you must be Adam Taurus of the White Fang. Oh, sorry. Formerly of the White Fang."
Adam growled at the man's comments. "Are working with Cinder?"
"No, I do not," Wolfram answered. "But I am affiliated with the people she worked for. Oh, by the way, you should really clean your sword better. I could smell the blood on it from quite a distance."
Adam glanced at his sword. It's true, he killed quite a few of the White Fang members after they turned against him, and he didn't have time to properly clean his sword. But if he was honest, that didn't matter right now.
"Well whoever you are, I'm not coming back to whoever you work for. I have my own ambition, and if you want to live, then I suggest that you out of my way," he explained. "Or does my blade need to taste more blood."
Wolfram chuckled at that. "Well, aren't you a big boy, acting all mighty and tough," he mockingly teased, agitating the bull faunus more. "I wonder who you're so angry at." Wolfram then walked beside him while Adam kept his distance. He looked at the town nearby. "Is that where they're located, the people you hate?" Wolfram could hear the man's grip on the hilt tighten in anger making him smirk. "I'm right, aren't I? You see, I'm sure that those people are also the ones that I'm looking for. So thank you for that." He then began walking away. "You're services aren't required anymore."
Adam growled at the continued mockery coming from the man. He had enough. With a scream, he dashed at the retreating Wolfram at great speed, Wilt already out of its sheath and a slash aimed directly at Wolfram's neck.
He closed the distance in less than a second, and the blade was about to connect until it suddenly stopped. Adam was shocked when he saw this. His sword was just over a centimeter away from Wolfram's neck, held at bay with the Grimm Lord's fingers on the blade.
Wolfram looked back at him with an amused grin, as he completely expected such a reaction. He then turned around, his fingers still on the blade as Adam tried to pull it back.
"Now, now," Wolfram said before bringing up his other hand, running the clawed fingers across the blade. He put his middle finger underneath it, and literally FLICKED the blade out of Adam's hands, with the faunus looking dumbfounded at what happened. "That was just rude."
Ruby, Oscar, and others began enacting the plan to secretly sneak into Atlas after hijacking a ship, but things didn't go according to plan, and they were discovered.
And right now, they were currently fighting Caroline Cordovin who was piloting a giant mech suit equipped with quite deadly and explosive weapons.
"Did you really think that you would be able to sneak into Atlas?!" Cordovin said with the Colossus as the airship Manta flew some distance from it. The mech extended its hand, after which a missile container rose from its wrist. "You'll feel the full might of Atleasian Military!"
"Well, looks like we got a fight on our hands," Nora said as she readied her hammer.
"Looks like it," Ruby said while holding her scythe.
Everyone else got ready to fight giant mech, but then suddenly a boulder flew just above them and headed straight at the mech, hitting the unfired missiles and causing them to explode, leaving quite a damage on the robot's hand. The explosion made the robot stumble before it knelt as grunts from Cordovin could be heard.
Everyone looked confused at what just transpired.
Then they heard someone chuckle from behind. "Quite a pickle you found yourselves in, I see." They turned back and saw someone coming from the woods at the cliff they were standing on.
When the man came into full view, their eyes widened. The man in front of them bared a striking resemblance to Salem, though having a more animalistic look to him. Just what was going on?
Then they remembered something. When Jinn was showing them the past of Salem and Ozma, they also saw some of the adventures they had, one of which did include the two of them fighting a man that resembled Salem. They realized that this was definitely that man. But what on Earth was he doing here? Wasn't he defeated?
Wolfram looked at the group in amusement. It would seem that he helped them out in this situation by temporarily disabling that… robot, was it called? He could also feel the presence of another very powerful Grimm nearby, a Leviathan, but he used his command over the Grimm to keep it at bay for the moment.
"So you're the group that caused Salem so many troubles," Wolfram said as he looked over the group. They were mostly pretty young except for the one man who looked to be in his middle-aged years. "I must admit, you impress me." His eyes then landed on Oscar. "Ah, so that's where Ozma is hiding."
Qrow groaned. "Well, that's just perfect. As if Salem wasn't enough, now we have another to deal with," he complained. He knew that bad luck followed him, but this was just ridiculous. And they still have yet to deal with Cordovin and getting to Atlas.
Wolfram chuckled. "Yes, you are quite unfortunate," he said. "By the way." He then extended his hand, showing that he was holding someone. "Do any of you know him?" The group was further shocked to see a bloodied and unconscious form of Adam Taurus being held by the back of his collar. "Judging by the expressions you all do." Wolfram then threw Adam near them as the faunus landed with a groan.
Ruby got over her shock and pointed her scythe at Wolfram. "And just what do you want?"
"What do I want?" Wolfram said. "What I want is quite simple." He then extended his hand near his face. His black claws then grew several centimeters in length. "I want to see if you all are worth my time."
AN: And that is it for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Our second antagonist finally met our heroes and the next chapter will show just what he is capable of.
And I hope you check out my other stories. Trust me, they are worth it. And please leave a review. They are great motivators.
See you next time!